Fast and Furious: While Holder Makes Excuses, Mexico Is Making Arrests

While Attorney General Eric Holder continues to “stonewall,” as Congressman Issa (R-CA) describes it, and make excuses concerning Operation Fast and Furious, the Mexican Government is making arrests. According to the LA Times, over the weekend Mexican authorities arrested Jose Antonia Torres Marrufo, “a reputed enforcer for the country’s most powerful drug cartel — a man also alleged to have amassed weapons from the U.S. government’s failed Fast and Furious gun-smuggling operation.” (Italics mine)

Torres “was in charge of operations in the border state of Chihuahua,” which includes the crime-ridden city of Juarez: a city that is just across the border from El Paso, TX, and one to which Fast and Furious weapons were believed to have been transported. Moreover, Torres, “[who] was wanted in connection with numerous crimes including murder, extortion, kidnapping and the sale and distribution of drugs,” had “two assault rifles and two [semi-automatic] pistols” with him.

I can’t help but wonder, “Where did Torres get the rifles and the pistols?” Let’s see, he was “alleged to have amassed weapons” via Fast and Furious and he admits to taking over “armed operations for the organization in Chihuahua during the last two to three years.” Hmmm…it doesn’t seem like it should be difficult to figure this one out.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, where we’re all supposed to take comfort in the fact that Holder swears he did not authorize gun walking and that he believes gun walking to be a foolish tactic, this news just isn’t that comforting. In fact, this arrest should put the focus squarely back on any (and all) communications between Holder and Criminal Division Chief Lanny Breuer. For according to Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA), on the very day the DOJ was denying it “would ever let guns walk,” Breuer was having discussions with Mexican officials about “plans to let guns cross the border.”